“I’m very pleased by the ruling today. Today vindicated me and let the people know I didn’t do anything wrong,” said Flott, who lost his runoff race against now-state Rep. Napoleon Bracy. “The justice system worked.”

Bracy, who was the president of the Prichard City Council at the time, accused Flott of getting his campaign workers to follow his opponent through the city late at night on May 31. Bracy told police that he was trailed away from his home and along Wilson Avenue by one car with the lights off, and that another car approached just before he called police.

According to a police report, Bracy tried several times to lose both cars.

“I think it was clear something went on,” said Bracy, who testified at today’s trial. “Everyone in the courtroom felt something illegal took place. In legal terms, they were just not sure exactly what happened.”

Flott, 45, said he believes Bracy used his influence to bring criminal charges against him in order to knock him out of the race.

“It was like it was calculated to come out right before the election,” he said.